Texas Sun
by Half Of My Soul
Summary: Two Parts. Complete. Angel is visited by an old friend. The aftermath of saving Fred from Illyria.
1. Remember Me

**So this is just a litle idea that's been stuck in my head since I've been writing my Angel/Twilight fic. I always thought about how Fred died. I needed to get this out though before it drives me insane.**

**I wanted to make this into two different parts. "Remember Me" is the first part, where Angel reminisces about Fred after "_A Hole in the World_", maybe even hallucinating, and the second part (Chapter) "To Hell With the World" Spike and Angel take Illyria's ****sarcophagus to England, risking the world. **

**Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to Joss Whendon and the respective creators.**

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**Remember Me**

**Summary: Weeks have passed since Fred's death, and Illyria has taken shop inside her body. While the men grieve over their friend, Angel can't let go of the guilt he feels. **

Angel walked slowly over to the bed, his feet dragging against the hardwood floor. He tried not to think as that's when his thoughts got the best of him. He was no more better than Wesley in the moping department at the moment, his thoughts always revolving around how he could have let this happen. Every time he looked at Illyria, he saw the sweet Fred that used to lock herself in her room, draw on her walls, mumbling something smart. Angel laid in the bed, looking up a the ceiling. How could he have let this happen? Why didn't he see it? This was WH, something bad was bound to happen.

He saw the woman in the cave, crazy, caring for him. He saw her morph into a strong woman, one that didn't need saving anymore, up until the point that she did. He failed her. Angel grabbed the pillow and hugged it to himself. "Angel." It was almost like he could hear her. Angel swallowed shaking his head. "You're not real." He whispered into the empty room. "I'm here." She whispered. Angel stared at the ceiling remembering a distant memory.

_The large bug almost impaled Angel as he dodged it once again. "Who's helping me here?" He asked as Wesley and Gunn hacked away, doing no damage. "I'm here! I'm here!" Fred smiled down at him as she pressed her foot down on her contraption._

"No." Angel said quietly. He pulled the covers over his head. "Angel." She whispered. There she went with that soft, sweet, Texan voice. Angel sighed pulling the cover down, knowing he was going to be met with disappointment. His eyes slightly widened at the figure in front of him. She was wearing a long skirt, long brown short sleeved shirt with her hair down and glasses on her face.

He remembers pushing those up on her face back in Pylea. His face darkened, for sure that Illyria was messing with him. "Illyria. Stop. You see how it affects Wesley. It affects me too. Change back." He glared.

Fred sighed, her eyes tearing up. She walked towards the edge of his bed, reached out to run her fingers through his hair. "Handsome man..." She whispers. Angel looked at the floor, seeing as there was no shadow that casted from the moon light. "Fred?" He whispers. He grabbed her hand, feeling warm flesh, looking at her as if he saw the world for the first time.

She nods, sitting next to him. "It's me." Tears slipped down her face as she cried softly. "We miss you." Angel whispered, and he couldn't help himself as he pulled her into a hug. Her warm hands wrapped around his neck. "I miss my boys too." She sniffed into his ear. Angel pulled back, his own eyes watering. "Fred. I am so...sorry. I-I did all I could. Is there anything we can do? There has to be another way to get you..." Angel stopped talking, his voice breaking.

He laid his head on her shoulder, closing his eyes. "I lost you too." He whispered brokenly. Fred just ran her fingers though his hair. "I'm still here Angel. I always will be. I can't stay though." She said. Angel looked at her, his eyes sad. Her lips trembled as she looked at him. "I wish I could. Stay. Be back in my own body, but Illyria is strong. There's nothing that can be done. Look after yourselves. Look after Wesley. He's breaking apart at the seams." She grabbed his face, touching his forehead with hers.

"Don't go." Angel whispered. He gripped her tightly as if that would keep her here. That she wouldn't leave. That maybe he could convince himself that this was real. That this moment was happening, holding Fred once again, smelling her scent of fresh roses and sun.

"Goodbye Angel." Fred kisses his temple, tears dropping on his cheek. She slips from his hold and towards one of the windows, disappearing into the night. Angel sat there, his chest heaving slightly, his body shaking with silent cries.

"Fred..." He whispered. Angel laid down and closed his eyes, feeling a sense of peace. When he awoke the next morning, he could've sworn he smelled her scent.

On his desk sat a glass full of blood, warm. He briefly wondered who was in his room without his knowledge. He sat up and grabbed the glass, taking a sip. He almost spit it out. He looked down at it in confusion. The problem wasn't that it tasted bad, it was good actually. There was just a dash of cinnamon in it, just the way he liked it. And nobody ever prepared his blood the way Fred did. Only _she _knew he liked it that way.


	2. To Hell With the World

**Summary: On the way to Drogyn, Angel tells Spike "To Hell With the World" and that's what he meant. **

Spike and Angel carry Illyria's _essence _across the green grass, the grass decaying immediately. "Are we going to be able to live with this? Half of the bloody world is dead mate." Spike said, pulling out a cigarette. Angel just grunted with a nod. "I'll live with it. I couldn't save Cordelia and the only way to do it was to kill her. Look how well that went. But Fred? There is a way and _this _is it. She wanted to live. I know she did."

Angel stated. They took the sarcophagus to the deeper well, lifting it over the bridge. It fell down with a quiet _woosh_, Angel and Spiked watched it fall until they couldn't see it any longer. Angel and Spike looked at one another before leaving.

**WH**

"Wes." Angel called, making his way behind him. They stood outside Fred's hospital room, just watching her sleep. "200 million people died." Wesley said softly. "I would've thought more. I..couldn't do it. I couldn't just sit there and watch as that _thing _crawled up inside of her and.." Angel trailed off glancing at his friend.

"Me neither. Do you think we did the right thing? Will she be happy?" Wesley asked. Angel looked away from him and towards Fred. She was coming around from the way her heart spiked up some.

"Yes. She's alive and with you. With us. She'll be okay." They walked inside, Spike and Gunn behind them. She blinked open her brown eyes and stared at them. She gave a tired smile, her lips chapped. "You did it." She whispered. She coughed a little, getting a frown out of each of her men. "Just a cough. I..it's not in me anymore. I know. I know what had to be done." She whispered hoarsely, she looked guiltily at the ceiling.

"And deep down inside, I'm glad." Nobody said a thing as they watched her process what was done to keep her alive. Spike patted her hand gently. Her eyes were closing once again, and she was about to dose off again. "We all are pet."


End file.
